US20140021745A1 - Releasable tunnel brace for a vehicle - Google Patents
Releasable tunnel brace for a vehicle Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20140021745A1 US20140021745A1 US13/555,801 US201213555801A US2014021745A1 US 20140021745 A1 US20140021745 A1 US 20140021745A1 US 201213555801 A US201213555801 A US 201213555801A US 2014021745 A1 US2014021745 A1 US 2014021745A1
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- Prior art keywords
- fastener
- tunnel
- receiving aperture
- tunnel brace
- elongated slot
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
- B62D25/20—Floors or bottom sub-units
Definitions
- the disclosed invention relates generally to vehicle body constructions. More particularly, the disclosed invention relates to a tunnel brace that provides required torsion stiffness under normal conditions but is releasable upon side impact to reduce local deflection.
- Most types of vehicle body structures include a centrally-formed tunnel or passage that extends along the long axis of the vehicle generally from the vehicle's firewall rearward to a point behind the second set or row of seats.
- Various components such as the transmission, the drive shaft (in the case of the rear wheel drive vehicle), or conduits may extend through the tunnel.
- NVH noise, vibration or harshness
- a tunnel brace is commonly provided between the opposing floor panels adjacent the tunnel such that the tunnel brace is provided perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle.
- a typical tunnel brace arrangement according to current design is generally illustrated as 10 in FIG. 1 .
- the tunnel brace arrangement 10 includes a tunnel brace 12 provided to bridge the gap defined by a tunnel 14 .
- the tunnel 14 is formed between a first floor pan 16 and a second floor pan 18 .
- the tunnel brace 12 is attached at one end to the first floor pan 16 and at the other end to the second floor pan 18 .
- a first supporting cross-member 20 is integrally attached to the first floor pan 16 while a second supporting cross-member 22 is integrally attached to the second floor pan 18 .
- FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of an example of a known tunnel brace 12 having two fastener holes 24 , 24 ′ for receiving conventional bolts (not shown).
- tunnel brace results in increased torsion stiffness and a consequent reduction of NVH. While generally providing a satisfactory result in the reduction of vehicle NVH, the inclusion of the tunnel brace introduces another challenge to designers which is a possible negative affect in the event of a side impact. Since the main purpose of vehicle tunnel brace is to improve vehicle torsion stiffness and thus reduce NVH, the reacting forces on the tunnel brace are vertical whereas side impact forces acting on tunnel brace are lateral.
- the first class includes other vehicles (including other cars, trucks and other moving objects) and the second class includes poles and pole-like objects, such as telephone poles, street signs, and trees.
- the former class of objects is usually wider than the latter class of objects, and thus the localized damage caused by the pole or pole-like object may create greater localized damage than that caused by the vehicle.
- the vehicle tunnel brace may play a role in occupant injury in a side or oblique pole impact.
- the automotive industry is aware of this situation and has thus established standards (FMVSS 214 in the US and ECE 95 in Europe) specifying safety requirements for pole or pole-like vehicle impacts. In order to more effectively meet and exceed such requirements it is desirable to provide an alternate arrangement for the tunnel brace as is currently used.
- the disclosed invention provides a releasable tunnel brace that overcomes the limitations of known tunnel brace arrangements by providing a brace that offers robust vehicle torsion stiffness while reducing local deflection in the event of a side impact.
- the tunnel of a vehicle typically is formed between two spaced apart side panels.
- the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention releasably connects one of the side panels with the other.
- the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention includes a body having a first end and a second end. One or both of these ends includes a fastener-receiving aperture formed therein.
- the fastener-receiving aperture has a substantially round portion and an elongated slot.
- the elongated slot is parallel to the long axis of the brace and extends from the substantially round portion.
- the substantially round portion of the fastener-receiving aperture is configured so as to allow the head of shoulder bolt fastener to pass therethrough.
- the elongated slot of the fastener-receiving aperture is defined by a pair of opposed walls. The elongated slot is configured so as to allow the shoulder of the shoulder bolt fastener to pass between the pair of opposed walls.
- the tunnel brace may be attached to both the side panels by mechanical fastening or may be attached to one panel by mechanical fastening and to the other panel by a weld.
- the tunnel brace may be formed as one piece with one of the side panels.
- the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention provides torsion stiffness for the vehicle and is thus effective at reducing NVH.
- the tunnel brace is pushed vehicle inward and the shoulder of the shoulder bolt fastener passes through the elongated slot and into the round portion where the head of the bolt fastener passes through the substantially rounded portion and thus the channel brace is allowed to be released from its attachment position.
- the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention provides maximum torsion stiffness while withstanding only a minimum amount of lateral force before it releases and thus minimizes local deflection in the event of a side impact.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a tunnel brace arrangement for an automotive vehicle according to known technology
- FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of a tunnel brace according to known technology
- FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective underside view of an arrangement for a tunnel brace arrangement according to the disclosed invention
- FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of a tunnel brace according to the disclosed invention
- FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the end of the tunnel brace of FIG. 4 illustrating the elongated bolt hole
- FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but showing the position of the tunnel brace relative to the bolt following a side impact event;
- FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a tunnel brace arrangement for an automotive vehicle according to the disclosed invention following a side impact event
- FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the deflection of the occupant's upper thoracic cage over time comparing a side impact event involving the prior art tunnel brace arrangement with that of the disclosed invention.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective underside view of the tunnel bridge arrangement according to the disclosed invention, generally illustrated as 50. It is to be understood that the tunnel bridge arrangement 50 as shown is only illustrative and that other variations of the arrangement are possible without deviating from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention.
- the tunnel bridge arrangement 50 includes a tunnel brace 52 according to the disclosed invention.
- the tunnel brace 52 extends across the vehicle tunnel 14 between the first floor pan 16 and the second floor pan 18 .
- the tunnel brace 52 is attached at one end to one or the other of the first or second floor pans 16 and 18 , respectively. Attachment of the first end of the tunnel brace 52 is made either by conventional mechanical fastening or by a weld.
- the tunnel brace 52 may be formed integrally with one or the other of the first floor pan 16 or the second floor pan 18 .
- the first supporting cross-member 20 is integrally attached to the first floor pan 16 while the second supporting cross-member 22 is integrally attached to the second floor pan 18 .
- the other end of the tunnel brace 52 is attached to other of the first or second floor pans 16 and 18 , respectively, in a releasable manner such that in a side impact event the releasably attached end may fall away from its bracing position.
- This arrangement is made possible by the tunnel brace 52 being configured so as to have at least one end that is releasably attached to the mechanical fastener.
- FIGS. 4 through 6 illustrate the tunnel brace 52 according to the disclosed invention.
- the tunnel brace 52 includes a first end 54 and a second end 56 .
- a conventional bolt hole 58 is formed in the first end 54 .
- the bolt hole 58 is provided for attachment of the tunnel brace 52 to one or the other of the first or second floor pans 16 and 18 .
- a conventional fastener such as a bolt (not shown) is preferably used for this attachment. More than one bolt hole 58 may be provided in the first end 54 .
- An elongated bolt hole 60 is formed at the second end 56 of the tunnel brace 52 .
- the elongated bolt hole 60 includes a substantially round portion 62 and an elongated slot 64 .
- the elongated slot 64 extends from the substantially round portion 62 . It is possible that more than one elongated bolt hole 60 is formed in the second end 56 . It is also possible that the elongated bolt hole 60 is formed at both the first end 54 and the second end 56 of the tunnel brace 52 . It is to be understood that the illustrated configuration of the elongated bolt hole 60 is exemplary and some variations may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.
- the elongated slot 64 is defined by a pair of opposing walls 66 and 66 ′.
- the space defined by the opposing walls 66 and 66 ′ is wide enough to allow for the passage of the threaded shank of the bolt fastener (not shown) to pass therebetween but is too narrow to allow for the passage therebetween of the head of the bolt fastener.
- the round portion 62 of the elongated bolt hole 60 is large enough for the head of the bolt fastener to pass therethrough. This arrangement is shown in FIG. 5 .
- the installer To attach the releasable tunnel brace 52 to the vehicle the installer first attaches a shoulder bolt fastener 68 (of the type having a shank that is wider than the threaded portion thereby defining a shoulder) to, for example, the second floor pan 18 . The installer next places the second end 56 of the releasable tunnel brace 52 onto the attached bolt fastener such that the head of the fastener is passed though the substantially round portion 62 of the elongated bolt hole 60 . The installer then moves the releasable tunnel brace 52 so that the smooth shank of the bolt fastener passes between the two opposed walls 66 and 66 ′ of the elongated slot 64 . The attachment of the second end 56 of the tunnel brace 52 to the bolt faster 68 that is attached to the second floor pan 18 of FIGS. 3 and 7 is illustrated in FIG. 5 .
- the installer then uses a conventional threaded mechanical fastener, typically a bolt fastener without the shoulder described above, to attach the first end 54 of the tunnel brace 52 to the first floor pan 16 .
- a conventional threaded mechanical fastener typically a bolt fastener without the shoulder described above
- the arrangement and method of assembly described above are suggestive and are not intended as being limiting.
- the arrangement and method of assembly presented may be varied by using a tunnel brace that has elongated slots at both the first end 54 and the second end 56 .
- one end of the tunnel brace may be welded to a floor pan while the other end of the tunnel brace is attached to the opposite floor pan by the elongated slot-bolt fastener arrangement described above.
- the tunnel brace may be formed as part of one or the other floor pan and may thus be an extension therefrom, being releasably attachable to the opposite floor pan by the elongated slot-bolt fastener arrangement described.
- the tunnel brace 52 is being shown as being attached to the floor pans by only a single fastener at each of its ends 54 and 56 a greater number of fasteners may be used at one or both ends.
- FIG. 7 The behavior of the releasable tunnel brace 52 of the disclosed invention during a side impact event is generally illustrated in FIG. 7 .
- This figure illustrates a perspective view of the tunnel brace arrangement 50 for an automotive vehicle according to the disclosed invention following a side impact event.
- the second end 56 of the tunnel brace 52 has been released from the shoulder bolt fastener 68 holding it to the second floor pan 56 , thus reducing local deformation of the second floor pan 56 and, in particular, the second supporting cross-member 22 .
- the broken line of the graph of FIG. 8 illustrates the test result in a vehicle equipped with a conventional tunnel brace as is known in the prior art. As illustrated at about 55 milliseconds the deflection of the occupant reaches about 40 millimeters.
- the degree of deflection of the occupant's upper thoracic cage is not as severe.
- the solid line of the graph of FIG. 8 illustrates the test result in a vehicle equipped with a tunnel brace according to the disclosed design.
- the most extreme deflection of the occupant's upper thoracic cage is limited to about 20 millimeters (at about 45 milliseconds), reflecting a reduction of deflection by about half when compared with the results of the prior art arrangement as set forth above.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Transportation (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
- Seats For Vehicles (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The disclosed invention relates generally to vehicle body constructions. More particularly, the disclosed invention relates to a tunnel brace that provides required torsion stiffness under normal conditions but is releasable upon side impact to reduce local deflection.
- Most types of vehicle body structures include a centrally-formed tunnel or passage that extends along the long axis of the vehicle generally from the vehicle's firewall rearward to a point behind the second set or row of seats. Various components, such as the transmission, the drive shaft (in the case of the rear wheel drive vehicle), or conduits may extend through the tunnel.
- While typically being a necessary component in the modern vehicle, the tunnel unfortunately too often plays a role in the increase of one or more of noise, vibration or harshness (NVH) within the vehicle. To minimize the NVH a tunnel brace is commonly provided between the opposing floor panels adjacent the tunnel such that the tunnel brace is provided perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle.
- A typical tunnel brace arrangement according to current design is generally illustrated as 10 in
FIG. 1 . Thetunnel brace arrangement 10 includes atunnel brace 12 provided to bridge the gap defined by atunnel 14. As is known in the art, thetunnel 14 is formed between afirst floor pan 16 and asecond floor pan 18. Thetunnel brace 12 is attached at one end to thefirst floor pan 16 and at the other end to thesecond floor pan 18. A first supportingcross-member 20 is integrally attached to thefirst floor pan 16 while a second supportingcross-member 22 is integrally attached to thesecond floor pan 18. - The
tunnel brace 12 is fastened by several nut-and-bolt fasteners or by welding to thefirst floor pan 16 and to thesecond floor pan 18.FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of an example of a knowntunnel brace 12 having twofastener holes - The addition of the tunnel brace results in increased torsion stiffness and a consequent reduction of NVH. While generally providing a satisfactory result in the reduction of vehicle NVH, the inclusion of the tunnel brace introduces another challenge to designers which is a possible negative affect in the event of a side impact. Since the main purpose of vehicle tunnel brace is to improve vehicle torsion stiffness and thus reduce NVH, the reacting forces on the tunnel brace are vertical whereas side impact forces acting on tunnel brace are lateral.
- In the event of a side-impacting collision, local deflection of the floor pans and their supporting structures is a common result. This local deflection often translates into injury to the occupant. Referring to the prior art arrangement of
FIG. 1 , the impact on thetunnel brace arrangement 10 following a side impact is shown. In this figure, thesecond floor pan 18 has become bent and the supportingcross-member 22 has become twisted, largely because of the resilience of thetunnel brace 12 which remains generally intact. Thus the damage caused by the side impact has remained local. Injury is often transmitted to the occupant because of the localized damage. Particularly, due to the stiffness added by the conventional tunnel brace, the vehicle tunnel does not deform efficiently, thus, most the deflection of vehicle occurs at the crash side. The extra local crush of vehicle structure leads to severe contact between door trim and occupants at the crash side, thus risking occupant safety. - Side impact events involving automotive vehicles typically include the imposition of dynamic loading to the vehicle body sides. The side impact event imposes severe loading on the structural members of the body. This situation is complicated by the fact that many compact or mid-sized vehicles have low rocker heights that may pass below the bumper of an impacting vehicle, resulting in high door velocities.
- Generally two classes of objects that impact the vehicle side are known. The first class includes other vehicles (including other cars, trucks and other moving objects) and the second class includes poles and pole-like objects, such as telephone poles, street signs, and trees. The former class of objects is usually wider than the latter class of objects, and thus the localized damage caused by the pole or pole-like object may create greater localized damage than that caused by the vehicle.
- Thus the vehicle tunnel brace may play a role in occupant injury in a side or oblique pole impact. The automotive industry is aware of this situation and has thus established standards (FMVSS 214 in the US and ECE 95 in Europe) specifying safety requirements for pole or pole-like vehicle impacts. In order to more effectively meet and exceed such requirements it is desirable to provide an alternate arrangement for the tunnel brace as is currently used.
- Accordingly, as in so many areas of vehicle technology, there is room in the art of tunnel brace design for an alternative arrangement.
- The disclosed invention provides a releasable tunnel brace that overcomes the limitations of known tunnel brace arrangements by providing a brace that offers robust vehicle torsion stiffness while reducing local deflection in the event of a side impact.
- The tunnel of a vehicle typically is formed between two spaced apart side panels. The tunnel brace of the disclosed invention releasably connects one of the side panels with the other.
- The tunnel brace of the disclosed invention includes a body having a first end and a second end. One or both of these ends includes a fastener-receiving aperture formed therein. The fastener-receiving aperture has a substantially round portion and an elongated slot. The elongated slot is parallel to the long axis of the brace and extends from the substantially round portion.
- The substantially round portion of the fastener-receiving aperture is configured so as to allow the head of shoulder bolt fastener to pass therethrough. The elongated slot of the fastener-receiving aperture is defined by a pair of opposed walls. The elongated slot is configured so as to allow the shoulder of the shoulder bolt fastener to pass between the pair of opposed walls.
- The tunnel brace may be attached to both the side panels by mechanical fastening or may be attached to one panel by mechanical fastening and to the other panel by a weld. As a further alternative the tunnel brace may be formed as one piece with one of the side panels.
- In its ordinary position the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention provides torsion stiffness for the vehicle and is thus effective at reducing NVH. However, in the event of a side impact, the tunnel brace is pushed vehicle inward and the shoulder of the shoulder bolt fastener passes through the elongated slot and into the round portion where the head of the bolt fastener passes through the substantially rounded portion and thus the channel brace is allowed to be released from its attachment position. Thus the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention provides maximum torsion stiffness while withstanding only a minimum amount of lateral force before it releases and thus minimizes local deflection in the event of a side impact.
- Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and the appended claims.
- For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention wherein:
-
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a tunnel brace arrangement for an automotive vehicle according to known technology; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of a tunnel brace according to known technology; -
FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective underside view of an arrangement for a tunnel brace arrangement according to the disclosed invention; -
FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of a tunnel brace according to the disclosed invention; -
FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the end of the tunnel brace ofFIG. 4 illustrating the elongated bolt hole; -
FIG. 6 is a view similar to that ofFIG. 5 but showing the position of the tunnel brace relative to the bolt following a side impact event; -
FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a tunnel brace arrangement for an automotive vehicle according to the disclosed invention following a side impact event; and -
FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the deflection of the occupant's upper thoracic cage over time comparing a side impact event involving the prior art tunnel brace arrangement with that of the disclosed invention. - In the accompanying figures, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components. In the following description, various operating parameters and components are described for one constructed embodiment. These specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting.
-
FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective underside view of the tunnel bridge arrangement according to the disclosed invention, generally illustrated as 50. It is to be understood that thetunnel bridge arrangement 50 as shown is only illustrative and that other variations of the arrangement are possible without deviating from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention. - The
tunnel bridge arrangement 50 includes atunnel brace 52 according to the disclosed invention. Thetunnel brace 52 extends across thevehicle tunnel 14 between thefirst floor pan 16 and thesecond floor pan 18. Thetunnel brace 52 is attached at one end to one or the other of the first or second floor pans 16 and 18, respectively. Attachment of the first end of thetunnel brace 52 is made either by conventional mechanical fastening or by a weld. As a further alternative, thetunnel brace 52 may be formed integrally with one or the other of thefirst floor pan 16 or thesecond floor pan 18. As is known in the art, the first supportingcross-member 20 is integrally attached to thefirst floor pan 16 while the second supportingcross-member 22 is integrally attached to thesecond floor pan 18. - The other end of the
tunnel brace 52 is attached to other of the first or second floor pans 16 and 18, respectively, in a releasable manner such that in a side impact event the releasably attached end may fall away from its bracing position. This arrangement is made possible by thetunnel brace 52 being configured so as to have at least one end that is releasably attached to the mechanical fastener. -
FIGS. 4 through 6 illustrate thetunnel brace 52 according to the disclosed invention. Thetunnel brace 52 includes afirst end 54 and asecond end 56. Aconventional bolt hole 58 is formed in thefirst end 54. Thebolt hole 58 is provided for attachment of thetunnel brace 52 to one or the other of the first or second floor pans 16 and 18. A conventional fastener such as a bolt (not shown) is preferably used for this attachment. More than onebolt hole 58 may be provided in thefirst end 54. - An
elongated bolt hole 60 is formed at thesecond end 56 of thetunnel brace 52. Theelongated bolt hole 60 includes a substantiallyround portion 62 and anelongated slot 64. Theelongated slot 64 extends from the substantiallyround portion 62. It is possible that more than oneelongated bolt hole 60 is formed in thesecond end 56. It is also possible that theelongated bolt hole 60 is formed at both thefirst end 54 and thesecond end 56 of thetunnel brace 52. It is to be understood that the illustrated configuration of theelongated bolt hole 60 is exemplary and some variations may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. - The
elongated slot 64 is defined by a pair of opposingwalls walls round portion 62 of theelongated bolt hole 60 is large enough for the head of the bolt fastener to pass therethrough. This arrangement is shown inFIG. 5 . - To attach the
releasable tunnel brace 52 to the vehicle the installer first attaches a shoulder bolt fastener 68 (of the type having a shank that is wider than the threaded portion thereby defining a shoulder) to, for example, thesecond floor pan 18. The installer next places thesecond end 56 of thereleasable tunnel brace 52 onto the attached bolt fastener such that the head of the fastener is passed though the substantiallyround portion 62 of theelongated bolt hole 60. The installer then moves thereleasable tunnel brace 52 so that the smooth shank of the bolt fastener passes between the twoopposed walls elongated slot 64. The attachment of thesecond end 56 of thetunnel brace 52 to the bolt faster 68 that is attached to thesecond floor pan 18 ofFIGS. 3 and 7 is illustrated inFIG. 5 . - The installer then uses a conventional threaded mechanical fastener, typically a bolt fastener without the shoulder described above, to attach the
first end 54 of thetunnel brace 52 to thefirst floor pan 16. Thereleasable tunnel brace 52 is now in position on the vehicle. - It is to be understood that the arrangement and method of assembly described above are suggestive and are not intended as being limiting. The arrangement and method of assembly presented may be varied by using a tunnel brace that has elongated slots at both the
first end 54 and thesecond end 56. In addition, one end of the tunnel brace may be welded to a floor pan while the other end of the tunnel brace is attached to the opposite floor pan by the elongated slot-bolt fastener arrangement described above. As a further alternative arrangement the tunnel brace may be formed as part of one or the other floor pan and may thus be an extension therefrom, being releasably attachable to the opposite floor pan by the elongated slot-bolt fastener arrangement described. Furthermore, while thetunnel brace 52 is being shown as being attached to the floor pans by only a single fastener at each of itsends 54 and 56 a greater number of fasteners may be used at one or both ends. - The behavior of the
releasable tunnel brace 52 of the disclosed invention during a side impact event is generally illustrated inFIG. 7 . This figure illustrates a perspective view of thetunnel brace arrangement 50 for an automotive vehicle according to the disclosed invention following a side impact event. As illustrated, thesecond end 56 of thetunnel brace 52 has been released from theshoulder bolt fastener 68 holding it to thesecond floor pan 56, thus reducing local deformation of thesecond floor pan 56 and, in particular, the second supportingcross-member 22. - Of course the illustrated arrangement of the floor pans and the supporting cross members is only suggestive and is set forth to show how local deformation using the releasable tunnel brace according to the disclosed invention is minimized. Other arrangements are possible but where the releasable tunnel brace of the disclosed invention the local deformation will be similarly minimized in the event of a side impact.
- It is to be understood that while the
second end 56 of thereleasable tunnel brace 52 has released from the fastener ordinarily attaching it to thesecond floor pan 18 it is possible that the opposite end of thereleasable tunnel brace 52, thefirst end 54, may have been released as well from the fastener ordinarily attaching it to thefirst floor pan 16. As a further alternative to this arrangement and to demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of the disclosed invention it may be possible for both thefirst end 54 and thesecond end 56 to be released from the fasteners that ordinarily keep them attached to thefirst floor pan 16 and thesecond floor pan 18, respectively. - Several benefits can be derived from the disclosed invention because of the significant reduction of local deformation in the event of a side impact. Perhaps the most significant of these benefits is the reduced impact experienced by the vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact. These results are illustrated in the graph of
FIG. 8 and involve at least one suitable test dummy. Time (in milliseconds) is illustrated along the X-axis while the degree of deflection of the impacted occupant's upper thoracic cage (in millimeters) is illustrated along the Y-axis. - The broken line of the graph of
FIG. 8 illustrates the test result in a vehicle equipped with a conventional tunnel brace as is known in the prior art. As illustrated at about 55 milliseconds the deflection of the occupant reaches about 40 millimeters. - When the same side impact test is undertaken involving a vehicle construction involving the tunnel brace of the disclosed invention the degree of deflection of the occupant's upper thoracic cage is not as severe. Particularly, the solid line of the graph of
FIG. 8 illustrates the test result in a vehicle equipped with a tunnel brace according to the disclosed design. As illustrated the most extreme deflection of the occupant's upper thoracic cage is limited to about 20 millimeters (at about 45 milliseconds), reflecting a reduction of deflection by about half when compared with the results of the prior art arrangement as set forth above. - The foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US13/555,801 US8752885B2 (en) | 2012-07-23 | 2012-07-23 | Releasable tunnel brace for a vehicle |
CN201310308954.4A CN103569219B (en) | 2012-07-23 | 2013-07-22 | Releasable channel bracket for vehicle |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US13/555,801 US8752885B2 (en) | 2012-07-23 | 2012-07-23 | Releasable tunnel brace for a vehicle |
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US20140021745A1 true US20140021745A1 (en) | 2014-01-23 |
US8752885B2 US8752885B2 (en) | 2014-06-17 |
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US13/555,801 Active US8752885B2 (en) | 2012-07-23 | 2012-07-23 | Releasable tunnel brace for a vehicle |
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CN (1) | CN103569219B (en) |
Cited By (1)
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US11021192B2 (en) * | 2016-07-11 | 2021-06-01 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Underbody structure |
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DE102010019992A1 (en) * | 2010-05-10 | 2011-11-10 | Volkswagen Ag | Body structure, in particular floor structure, for a motor vehicle |
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DE19954296C2 (en) * | 1999-11-11 | 2003-06-18 | Porsche Ag | vehicle |
US6367869B1 (en) * | 2000-07-26 | 2002-04-09 | Ford Global Technologies, Inc. | Energy management system and method for an extruded aluminum vehicle subframe |
DE102006031452A1 (en) * | 2006-07-07 | 2008-01-17 | Dr.Ing.H.C. F. Porsche Ag | Transverse bridge for stiffening the tunnel area of a floor structure of a motor vehicle |
CN202107022U (en) * | 2011-05-20 | 2012-01-11 | 浙江吉利汽车研究院有限公司 | Detachable type subframe support structure |
-
2012
- 2012-07-23 US US13/555,801 patent/US8752885B2/en active Active
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2013
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Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US11021192B2 (en) * | 2016-07-11 | 2021-06-01 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Underbody structure |
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CN103569219B (en) | 2019-03-22 |
CN103569219A (en) | 2014-02-12 |
US8752885B2 (en) | 2014-06-17 |
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